A new chapter! One I am even less sure about than the previous chapter...boo...

Well let me know what you think, and rest assured that I have absolutely no plot planned for this, haha. I'm pretty much just making it up as I go along.

And the first person to say "poor Howard" gets some form of award...

Chapter 4

Howard was disappointed. On paper, this sounded like a perfect evening. Surrounded by his friends, him and Vince were getting along like a house on fire and he felt there was no was he wouldn't want to join him at the zoo. Gideon was there when he had invited her. It should be perfect. But, like many things in life for Howard Moon, it wasn't.

He was having to sit there and just watch the two of them. Staring at each other like sick dogs. Gideon seemed to have completely forgotten Howard's existence. After Vince had introduced herself, she just launched herself into conversation with him and didn't seem to want to come up for any air. So Howard sat there, watching the two of them grow closer and closer right in front of his eyes. He wished he knew a way to divert Gideon's attention to him for just one moment, but he was no good at that. He didn't attract attention, it just swept past him like a cold breeze, leaving him slightly chilly and without his hat on anymore.

Vince on the other hand, was simply basking in it like warm sunshine. Every joke he cracked, Gideon obediently laughed.

Howard couldn't believe it. He had only just met Vince and already, his seemed to have completely forgotten his presence in the room once he had met someone more interesting. And female. It was so typical of Howard's life that he couldn't stand it anymore. He didn't care if Vince didn't want to come and join him at the zoo. If he did, people would just marvel over how amazing Vince was and forget all about the person that had found him in the first place anyway. Howard grabbed his jacket and mumbled a goodbye to everyone that no one really seemed to hear or acknowledge. He was sick of being transparent. He was one of the most dedicated workers at the zoo and he wasn't sure he had ever received any sort of praise. He sometimes wondered what was the point of it all. What was the point of helping Vince out, if he would forget Howard as soon as a pretty girl was on the scene?

It was true, Vince didn't really notice Howard go until he was gone. He was too preoccupied. His friends were gonna be so jealous! He was chatting up an older girl! Most of his friends didn't even have girlfriends, let alone older ones.

"So, how old did you say you are again?" Gideon asked, giving a coy smile. He seemed to like her, she hoped silently to herself. She certainly like him...he had the cutest smile ever...and she liked the way she just caught flashed of his blue eyes when he flicked his fringe out of his eyes. She just couldn't stop staring.

Vince felt the urge to lie. He was sure she was older than him, and didn't want her to be put off. Plus, his confidence was fuelled by a few more beers. "I didn't, but I'm eighteen..." he lied smoothly, glad that Howard hadn't already introduced him on his behalf.

"Ok cool," Gideon grinned, "So how do you know Howard?" She asked, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"Howard wanted to meet me because I'm good with animals," he answered, honestly this time.

"Really?"

"Yes. I can talk to them." Vince was shocked at how easily the piece of information slipped from his mouth when his head was filled with the desire to impress. He felt like he had dropped a pair of keys down the drain. There was no way of taking back what he said. She would think he was a freak! Vince felt his face burning in anticipation of Gideon's mocking, but instead, she gasped and let her mouth hang open.

"What? Really?"

Vince was tempted to deny it, say he had only been kidding. But was she impressed? He was sure he could hear it in her voice. So he just responded with a simple "yes".

"That's amazing! I love animals...you will have to show me!" Gideon was excited now. She had thought Vince was pretty, yes, but she had sort of assumed that he was a bit dumb, and that there wasn't really anything below his charming exterior, just like most of the people she knew. But now she realised non of that was true, she knew she wasn't just going to forget about Vince once she had left the pub.

- - -

Howard struggled with the rusty lock on the door to his keeper's hut. He had just finished his late evening rounds of the zoo and was desperate to get inside for a cup of tea and some sleep. The end to a rubbish day. He had thought he had been getting somewhere with Gideon, he had been sure that she liked him. He had asked her out properly, and she had turned up and actually seemed happy enough to see him. A friendship with Gideon had only barely started and already Howard had lost her to someone else. You were an idiot to think she would ever like you in the first place..

Finally, he got the door open, and groped the rough wall, searching for the light switch. He knew he wouldn't be able to ask Vince to join him now. He would spend every day, glaring at him and wondering why she chose him. He would hate him even though he hadn't done anything wrong. It wasn't fair on Vince or on Howard. Life wasn't fair. Oh god, Howard thought to himself as he poured cold water into the kettle, how will I even be able to survive around Gideon? Knowing I could be with her, but I'm not...

He was so lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice he had spilled water on the floor until the puddle soaked through his shoes.

- - -

The road up to Vince's house was practically pitch black. The one street light in his little cul-de-sac had been vandalised and stood dead at the end of his road. It was usually smothered by the over grown trees anyway, only droplets of the orange glow leaking through the leaves. The lights in all of the houses were out, including Vince's, much to his relief. It meant his mother hadn't noticed him missing and wasn't waiting up for him to tell him off, like she had many times before.

God, why was he thinking about his mum when he was stood in the dark with a pretty girl? That always seemed to happen. Usually at parties, when he got with some random girl, but found himself thinking about his biology homework while he was at it. Or how he was gonna get home or something like that. I'm doing it again! He scolded himself, and tried to concentrate on her arms around him, and his fingers twisting through her soft hair. He didn't want to kiss her because he had forgotten to clean his teeth before he left the house, and he was pretty sure his breath was bad. He settled for just feeling her pressed against him, and twisting strands of hair around his finger tips, feeling her heart beat against his chest, with a tempo faster than his own.

"I should probably get home..." Vince started, trying not to sound rude. But he was cold and the wall he was leant against was digging into his back through his jacket.

"Oh...ok..." Gideon pulled away, smiling into the darkness, though Vince couldn't see.

He wondered what to say to her. Would he see her around? He wouldn't mind meeting up with her again, when breath didn't smell bad and he wasn't cold or anything.

"I guess I'll see you," Vince started, running a hand through his own hair. "I didn't really finish talking to Howard after all." He felt a stab of guilt. He realised he had never said goodbye to Howard, just ignored him in favour of Gideon.

"What?" Gideon asked, temporarily forgetting the beginning of her evening.

"He left, while we were talking...I think I completely ignored him," muttered Vince, shuffling nervously in the autumn leaves that carpeted the pavement.

"Did he?" Gideon asked, yawning. "I didn't notice."